Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About...
How to Get Emergency Contraception
How much do emergency contraceptive pills cost?
The cost of emergency
contraceptive pills ("morning
after pills" or "day after pills") can vary a lot
depending on where you get them, so be sure to ask about costs up
front. In the United States, Plan B One-Step, Next Choice One Dose, Next Choice and Levonorgestrel Tablets (which are available directly from the pharmacist without a prescription if you are 17 or older) cost anywhere from $35 to $60 at pharmacies. Next Choice and Levonorgestrel Tablets generally cost about 10% less than Plan B One-Step, but the makers of Plan B One-Step are currently offering a $10 coupon. ella may cost at least $50 at the pharmacy. There is an online prescription service that you can use to purchase ella for $40, including next-day delivery. This service will transfer a prescription to your local pharmacy for a fee of $35 (and then you have to pay whatever that pharmacy charges for the pill).
If you are younger than 16 or are planning to use ella, you will need a prescription. An office visit to get a prescription for EC may be anywhere from $30 and up. Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics often use a sliding scale to determine how much to charge for their services, making it possible to get emergency contraception at a reduced rate (or even free) if you don’t have insurance coverage or have a low income. One way you can reduce the costs is to ask for a prescription in advance the next time you visit your health care provider. (Prescriptions are only valid for a year after the date they are written, so be sure to ask your provider not to put a date on it. That way, you can fill the date in yourself if you ever need to get emergency contraception.) Not only would this eliminate the expense of making a special visit to get emergency contraception, it would also allow you to use them as soon as possible after sex if you need them. In addition, some Planned Parenthoods and other family planning clinics will call in a prescription for emergency contraceptive pills to a local pharmacist so you don’t have to pay for an office visit.
The new health care law requires that insurance companies cover the full range of FDA-approved contraceptive methods without extra charges, like co-pays. But your plan may not cover every brand of EC, or over-the-counter products. The best way to find out of EC is covered under your plan is to call your insurance company. To learn more, click here.